The Government of Canada has just given new meaning to the word "chutzpah". Adel Benhmuda tried to claim refugee status in Canada; he failed. When he said he'd be tortured if deported back to Libya this country didn't believe him. After all this country put them through, it should be Canada reimbursing the Benhmudas.

Assad has bought himself years of effective non-interference in Syria's domestic affairs, including his ongoing quest to crush his opponents. But this does not presuppose his long-term victory -- the international community's brief romance with Moammar Gaddafi ended swiftly when the Benghazi rebels looked like a sure bet to overthrow his regime.

The stage was set at Boca Raton's Lynn University. The desk dusted, chairs put in place and zingers primed and ready for volleying. Oh, and it was supposed to be about Foreign Policy. Right? Well it kind of was. Kind of. According to Romney, American grade school teachers are part of American foreign policy. Confused? Wait, there's more...

Civil liberties types worry about how Gaddafi died. What does it matter? He's gone, and that's the bottom line. Arguably, the last thing anyone should have wanted was Gaddafi put on trial, which would almost certainly have become a disruptive circus and fiasco.

Barack Obama refused to take the lead, but offered support if other countries bit the bullet, so to speak, and led the way. Our politial leaders insisted we were shooting up Libya to protect civilians, not in an effort to replace Gaddafi's oppressive regime. Nonsense, but that's international diplomacy.

The inner circle of Gaddafi is fraying and the news of Abdessalam Jalloud's defection must be heartening for the opposition. Although it is a significant psychological gain, one wonders why some of the big fish in the inner circles of defeated tyrants make their moves so late in the game.